Double door assemblies generally include an inactive door and an active door. The active door may be selectively operated between opened and closed positions by a user. An inactive door is generally locked in place using a locking assembly provided by an astragal. A lock assembly, as illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,751 to Hartman, may provide a slide bolt that may be extended from a disengaged position to an engaged position. When in the engaged position, the slide bolt may engage a door header and/or a floor to lock the inactive door in place. Of course, the slide bolt may be moved to a disengaged position so that the inactive door may also be operated between opened and closed positions.
Another astragal is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,919 to Germano. This astragal is provided as a single molding that extends the entire length of the inactive door. The astragal includes a base that may be connected to a door. A cap may be connected to an end portion of the base, and a sleeve connected to a side of the base. The sleeve is partially formed into the side of the base. Accordingly, such an astragal may provide some difficulties in construction.
A prior art astragal 10 is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1. The prior art astragal 10 includes an elongate member 12, a pair of upper and lower stiffeners 14 carried by a slide bolt receiving passageway 17 formed in the elongate member, a pair of upper and lower slide bolt members 16, and elongate cover members 18. The prior art astragal 10 also includes respective upper and lower slide bolt movement members 22 and strike plates 24 adjacent a medial portion of the elongate member 12.
The stiffeners 14 are fastened to the elongate member 12 using a plurality of fasteners 26. Other fasteners 27 are used to mount the elongate member to a side portion of a door 11. The elongate cover members 18 are positioned to extend from the slide bolt movement members 22 to an end portion of the stiffeners 14. In other words, the stiffeners 14 are exposed, as are the fasteners 26 that mount the stiffeners to the elongate member 12. Fastener cover members 28 are positioned to overlie the fasteners 26 adjacent the stiffeners 14.
The fastener cover members 28 are generally provided by small plastic pieces. The fastener cover members 28 may, however, be lost in transit when the astragal 10 is being shipped to an installation site. Of course, this slows installation and greatly increases the cost of installation as new fastener cover members 28 must first be ordered and delivered to the installation site before being installed at a later date.
Referring now additionally to FIGS. 2 and 3, additional aspects of the prior art astragal 10 are now described in greater detail. More specifically, the elongate member 12 illustratively has a top wall 13. Similarly, the stiffener 14 also has a top wall 15 that is illustratively positioned flush with the top wall 13 of the elongate member 12.
Therefore, the elongate cover member 18 is positioned to overlie the elongate member 12, but only extends as far as the stiffener 14. Accordingly, the stiffener 14 remains exposed when the astragal 10 is positioned on a door 11. The fastener cover members 28 are also exposed when the astragal 10 engages the door 11. Accordingly, the prior art astragal 10 disadvantageously has an unfinished appearance when installed. Further, the exposed stiffener 14 may be a target for tampering. The prior art astragal 10 also requires strike plates 24 for operation after it has been installed. Again, this disadvantageously requires additional parts that may be lost when the prior art astragal 10 is en route to the installation site.
Complex locking mechanisms have been incorporated into some astragals to maintain the upper and lower slide bolts in the locked position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,326 to Massey et al. discloses an astragal having a locking flush bolt assembly. The locking flush bolt assembly of the Massey et al. '326 patent application is connected to the flush bolt assembly and is rotatable to prevent the flush bolt from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position. More particularly, the locking mechanism includes a locking plug retainer and a rotatable locking plug that engages the locking plug retainer.
Another slide bolt locking system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,152 to Hudson. The slide bolt locking system includes a lock member having a substantially rounded shape and a stop ledge protruding outwardly to engage a slot. This configuration, however, requires a precise alignment of the slide bolt movement member.